Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to fans, and more particularly to fan assemblies.
Background Art
The processing power of integrated circuits and microprocessors is continually increasing. At the same time, the physical size of these devices is decreasing. Year after year, manufacturers produce smaller processors and integrated circuits that offer more computational power. While these technological advances yield smaller devices with more computational capabilities, there are tradeoffs that must be considered. A primary tradeoff is the fact that these smaller devices produce large amounts of heat, which must be removed for the devices to operate properly. This issue of excess heat generation is exacerbated when large numbers of integrated circuits and processors are densely populated in computer and server housings.
Illustrating by example, in server systems and other advanced computing platforms, large numbers of processors, memory devices, drivers, and other circuit components may be populated on printed circuit boards disposed within a chassis. When these components are all working simultaneously, they generate tremendous amounts of heat. This heat must be removed from the chassis to prevent the circuit components from overheating. Fans are traditionally used in chassis-based systems to remove heat so that electrical components within the chassis can function properly.
While fans are effective at removing heat, they frequently suffer from wear due to continual or intermittent operation. Due to this mechanical wear, many manufacturers recommend that fans be replaced after a predetermined amount of use. Replacement can occur either in the field or in a repair center. The decision determining where the electrical components must be taken “off-line” or out of service. Moreover, if replacement operations are difficult specialized technicians are required, which increases replacement cost.
It would be advantageous to have an improved fan assembly that allowed simple replacement of fans in the field without taking corresponding electrical equipment off-line.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure.